During my third and final year of university, I volunteered with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust in media and communications. One of the many things that was appealing about volunteering for The Wildlife Trusts was the flexibility of the extent and nature of the opportunities they provide! In my case, having a very busy academic and extra-curricular schedule, I was able to contribute as much or as little as I was able in any particular week.

Furthermore, I could experience whatever aspect of the organisation that I wanted to. I experienced an office environment, wrote blogs, got an insight into the website construction, and practically engaged in events such as the Capital One green Christmas event. We visited the Capital One office in Nottingham and engaged members of staff in discussions about wildlife and local nature reserves, and how they could get involved.

It has opened my mind to the possibilities of what I can do, how I can encourage others to connect to nature, and what my future career could look like!

My interest in the environment was of course my key motivation for volunteering for The Wildlife Trusts. I wanted to get an insight into what a role within a national environmental organisation could look like, given my longer term desire to pursue a role in the environment after I graduated.

The things I enjoyed most about my experience were getting to talk to both like-minded people and those who had not previously considered the importance of wildlife in Britain, or how they might contribute. Conveying my passion for the environment through writing was also an aspect which allowed me to support the Trusts whilst using my skill set. Knowing that I could be useful with my experience in research and communications, rather than what might typically be thought of when considering a volunteer role with the Trusts, such as practical conservation work, was very rewarding.

Aside from providing opportunities for personal growth, the experience fed my natural enthusiasm for the environment. Volunteering has been really fun in terms of meeting many other people who are also passionate about the environment, and engaging in conversations about what we can do in our daily lives to protect it. It has opened my mind to the possibilities of what I can do, how I can encourage others to connect to nature, and what my future career could look like!

Another benefit of my role, which is largely centered around online communications, is that it can be continued remotely whilst in lockdown, and can provide a fulfilling and valuable purpose during these tumultuous times. Whilst it may be harder to engage with nature due to travelling restrictions, it is still possible to volunteer, to engage online, or explore local spaces, which will nevertheless be filled with wildlife!